


Letters from the Heart

by Bitway



Category: Inazuma Eleven, Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin, Inazuma Eleven: Orion no Kokuin
Genre: M/M, Pre-Relationship, post-orion, secret santa gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:34:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bitway/pseuds/Bitway
Summary: Iwato still keeps in touch with Ichihoshi even after everything has come to an end. In his latest letter, he makes a brave decision to invite him to the island.
Relationships: Ichihoshi Hikaru/Iwato Takashi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Letters from the Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Enkidudu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enkidudu/gifts).



> Merry Christmas!! I went with writing the golem/ichihoshi prompt, hope its okay that its post-orion! anyway rarepair rights, enjoy!

_'To my dearly beloved, Hikaru…'_

No matter how many times Iwato wrote that greeting, it still left a fuzzy feeling in his chest. It would remind him of when he first used it, when he thought his penpal was a girl and believed something would blossom between the two. It would make his heart soar as he tried to imagine a face to the name.

Little by little, he found the truth of his penpal. He would have never guessed it was his own roommate (and coming to that truth was a trial in itself). Yet, it just didn't seem right to change the greeting. Hikaru was still an important person to Iwato. He was a good friend, someone he could trust and had fun talking to even if it was from exchanging letters.

His gaze remains upon the greeting as they always do. The longer he stares the louder his heart beats. His cheeks feel warm as he imagines Hikaru smiling at him. Before he could get lost in his thoughts about the other boy, he shakes his head and focuses on continuing his letter.

He starts off with the usual introduction. Iwato writes that he's doing fine and how he spent the day with Hanta. It's followed by an update on the team and how they're growing stronger and stronger with each match. He does his best to include everyone on the team, even those Hikaru hadn't met.

Then, he gets to the questions. Asking about how he is, how's the team, and if he's adjusting to Japan. He always adds an _'if you have any troubles, feel free to write to me and I will do my best to help,'_ after the last question.

"That should be it, gosu."

But he doesn't set his pen down. It's gripped firmly in his hand with the tip just hovering over the paper. There was one question he had been meaning to ask but could never put it down on paper. Maybe he could ask this time. What was the worst that could happen? With a gulp and a hard grip on the pen, he forces himself to watch as his hand moves to write-

_'Would you like to visit the island sometime?'_

He stops himself from finishing that with _'I miss you'_. That would seem a little too weird in his eyes, no matter how true it may be. Instead, he writes 'I can show you around' so there would be no empty space for him to write his earlier thought.

With the letter finished, his eyes easily fall back to that last question. It makes him sweat at the thought of what he had just asked. There wasn't anything wrong with it, it just made him feel nervous. Part of him wanted to scrap the entire letter and rewrite it so that question never existed in the first place. But he knew doing that would make the letter feel less genuine.

"Oh…" Iwato groans as he contemplates his decision. He has to get up from his desk, walk around his room before sitting back down. He takes in a breath and lets it out.

"I'll…send it."

Before he could let any second thoughts worm their way into his decision, he seals the letter into an envelope, puts on a stamp and writes down their addresses. Now he had to send it.

A few days later, Iwato receives a letter. The moment he sees the handwriting on the envelope, his heart begins to race. Quick steps are taken as he rushes to his room so he could open it and read every word carefully.

It's hard to continue when he nears the end. He was dreading the answer that would be given. Would it be a yes? A no? What if he just ignored it completely? It was highly unlikely, but he fretted over it, regardless. With a breath, he continues to read.

_'I would love to come visit, Iwato! I've always wanted to see the home you love so much. I think it will be easier for us to arrange a time and date over the phone though.'_

There it was! His answer! Iwato had let out a gasp and had even gotten to his feet after reading it.

"Hikaru is going to come to the island, gosu!"

A small celebration was held in his room before he remembered that he had to call Hikaru. In his state of bliss, he had no trouble making the call and discussing a time and date with him. In a few days, Hikaru would be on the island. It made Iwato smile. He could hardly wait to see him again.

~…~

The day of his arrival, Iwato had arrived bright and early at the pier. He wanted to be prepared if Hikaru arrived earlier than expected. He couldn't miss the chance to welcome him on the island either.

While waiting for him, his gaze drifted to the ocean. Eyes squint as if it would help him see a boat coming from the horizon. It doesn't work as much as he hopes. With time on his hand, he lets the sea breeze brush past him and lets memories of his own trips to and from the island fill his mind. If he had never taken that boat off the island with everyone else, he would have never gotten this chance to meet Hikaru.

Lost in his memories, he almost doesn't notice the approaching ship. When he notices, he feels his heart beginning to beat against his chest. It was hard to hide the smile that was growing on his face and he couldn't hide it even if he wanted to.

Hikaru is waving at him from the boat which makes Iwato have to wave back. After it docks, Hikaru is the first one off the boat, making his way straight to Iwato.

"Iwato!" Hikaru chirps with a bright smile on his face. Oh, how it made him want to pull him into a hug.

"Hikaru! How was the boat ride?"

"It was pretty cool. I always have to go on planes so taking a boat was a nice change for once."

"You didn't get seasick, did you, gosu?"

"Mm. Nope, I'm fine."

Hikaru talks more about his trip to the island. He was worried that he was going to miss the boat with the traffic and had sprinted towards it when he had gotten out of the car. Thankfully, he had time to recover on the way over here.

It's easy to get lost in a conversation with him. Speaking with him in person is so different compared to the letter or on the phone. They weren't bound by some cramped paper space or lack of physical distance. Time wasn't on their side though as Hikaru would only stay for the weekend, but Iwato was going to cherish every second of it.

"You know, I've been wondering when Outei and Inakuni are going to have a match again."

Iwato crosses his arms in thought while leading the way to his home. "I haven't heard about one yet…maybe we can arrange a practice one?"

"There is still time before the next tournament. Outei is pretty strict with their training regimen, but I think we could get a match in. I'd like to see how you've improved since the last time we played, Iwato."

"I-I'd like to see your improvement too!" He stammers out. "It's always fun playing with you, gosu. Oh, are you hungry?"

"A little bit."

"Mansaku's place is just ahead. We can eat there."

He points ahead, to the sushi sign hanging outside the building. Hikaru doesn't protest the idea, especially when his stomach growls in response. When they enter, they find Mansaku working in his father's place.

A smile lights his face when he sees a familiar face enter his family's restaurant. It turns into a look of surprise once his eyes fall onto Hikaru. Regardless, Mansaku ushers them over to a seat near his working station.

"How long are you staying here, Ichihoshi?"

"Just a couple of days. Iwato offered his home to me and I don't want to overstay my welcome."

"Eh? You're welcome to stay as long as you want, Hikaru!"

"Thank you, Iwato. Sorry for saying that."

"It's alright, gosu. I just want you to know that you're welcomed here."

"He's right," Mansaku adds. "Your old teammates are here for you."

Hikaru relaxes a little more after hearing that. They return to their conversation, Mansaku chiming in now and then when he wasn't busy attending to another customer. Lunch is served, on the house, or at least Mansaku tries to slide that offer onto them. Neither are too keen on taking it and before Hikaru could offer to pay his share, Iwato steps in to pay for it.

After saying goodbye to Mansaku, they continue back on the path to Iwato's home. It's a short walk though it feels a little longer on a full stomach.

"My home is your home," Iwato says when they finally arrive. "Oh, you can leave your things in my room."

Hikaru follows him to his room, all while looking around his home. He compliments it before he gets into Iwato's room. When he's in, he sets down his belongings off to the side. A futon had been set for him already.

"It'll just be like old times, huh?" Hikaru says as he takes a moment to sit down.

"Yeah!" Iwato's eyes sparkle. It was a weird transition to go from having roommates to having none so suddenly. His room felt lonely without another person in it, even if it was only meant for one. But now he had Hikaru over and it would be just like how things were back in Russia.

"Hm?"

Something catches Hikaru's eyes. A sparkle that he could just barely see upon his desk. He knows he shouldn't snoop, especially out in the open, but curiosity grips at him and he gets to his feet. It's there he sees a small bracelet with star charms attached to it.

"You still have this?"

Iwato glances over to the desk and his cheeks flush when he sees Hikaru taking the bracelet in his hand. It was something he had given to him before they had to part ways. It was a small thank you gift for being a good roommate and being one of the few to try to accept him when he was still under Orion's control. It was nothing, Iwato would argue, but it had meant a lot to Hikaru.

"Yeah, gosu! It's an important gift from you."

"You're such a good person, Iwato. I…" Hikaru pauses as he holds the charm into his hand. He places it carefully back on the desk, treating it as if it were a delicate piece of glass. He holds his breath before speaking again. "I don't think I ever apologized to you for…deceiving you about the letters. You know, back then…"

It catches Iwato off guard to bring this up.

"I-I'ts okay!" He stammers out. He's quick on his feet and goes to Hikaru's side. He places a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Hikaru. I'm still glad to be your penpal anyway."

"I know but…" He bites down on his lip.

He thought the guilt was gone from him, but maybe some still lingered. Regardless, he didn't like seeing Hikaru in this state. He liked it when he smiled and wanted him to be happy. With a gulp and some courage, he pulls the other into a hug.

"H-Hanta does this to feel better…Hikaru…you're a good person too. I'd never be angry with you and I'll always enjoy our letters, gosu."

He wonders if this is okay or if he had overstepped his boundaries. Before he could pull back, he felt his arms wrap around him. He hears a quiet 'thank you' and they remain like that for a while. When they pull back, Iwato thinks he catches some red on his cheeks.

"L-Let's go on the tour, shall we?" He says to lighten the mood.

~…~

The days passed by so quickly, Iwato hardly realized it was time for Hikaru to go. With a heavy heart, he had to escort his dear friend to the pier. He didn't want him to leave, but knew he couldn't stay on the island with him forever. At least these new memories would bring a smile to his face.

"Did you have fun?" Iwato asks.

"I did!" Hikaru beams.

Hikaru adjusts the bag on his back and looks to the boat. Even he seemed hesitant on leaving, or so it seemed to Iwato. There were only a few minutes left before Hikaru would take steps off the island and would be taken back to the mainland.

"Thank you, Iwato." Hikaru says as he turns to face him. "I think…I'll come back again, if that's alright with you. I like it here. It's so different from the city." He turns his head, letting the breeze brush past him.

"You're welcomed here any time, Hikaru."

He turns his head away from the sea to face Iwato. And in one quick motion, he moves towards him, wrapping his arms around the other in a hug. It makes Iwato's heart race, catching him off guard. It takes a moment for his body to move and to return the hug. He didn't want to let the boy go.

"Hikaru…" He pauses, debating what to say. He wants to get these feelings off his chest, but…not now. "The next time you come back, we'll make it special, gosu!"

"I look forward to it, Iwato."


End file.
